The magic of the FA Cup is what kept the reputation of the competition alive for so many years, and this year it was embodied by Chorley FC.
A COVID-19 victory hit Derby County in the final round of the competition saw them draw a home draw against Premier League club Wolves as they looked to advance to the fifth round for the first time in their history .
But who is Chorley FC? Here’s everything you need to know about them!
England’s football pyramid is often referred to only as the 92 clubs in the football league, but Chorley is two divisions below.
They currently play in the sixth tier, the National League North, where they sit ninth in the table out of 22 teams.
While Newcastle is better known as “The Magpies”, Chorley was founded first – so these are actually the originals.
They take the nickname from their black and white striped home jersey and even recognize it in their official club crest. Keep flying high, Magpies!
When the club was founded in 1875, the sport of choice was actually rugby.
They changed to a football club in 1883 and that’s how they’ve been operating ever since. The reason for the change is unknown, but we can say it was a good move.
We mentioned earlier that Chorley plays two divisions below the football league, but they actually never played in England’s top four divisions.
The closest they’ve come was playing in the fifth tier for two years between 1989 and 1991. That hasn’t stopped them from beating three league football teams in the FA Cup this year…
Fantastic scenes in Chorley’s locker room – what football is! ?
? @chorleyfc pic.twitter.com/wTuiOM5gU2
– 90min (at 90min_Football) January 9, 2021
Every club has traditions, but it is certainly one of the strangest. The club’s celebrations after beating Derby in the third round have gone viral, with players all releasing their renditions of Adele’s single “Someone Like You”.
Turns out that has been a thing for some time, with former defenseman Andy Teague credited with throwing it off by current captain Scott Leather.
“It’s a bit of a club anthem!” he told LancsLive. “Since I’ve been here, that’s what it’s been and every time we’ve won it’s what we’ve sung. It’s not the usual song that teams will sing after a win but it’s a bit more fair to be fair isn’t it ”he?
“He’s been all over the line which is good to see, we just need a shout from Adele now or a good luck message – that would be nice. Andy Teague was the one who always stuck it out and he’s just stuck since then and probably will do for God knows how long.
“It’s when you start hitting tables and walls, it gets a little more upbeat!”
I hope they will sing for the fifth round of the FA Cup, “hello – it’s me”…
